Here's something you should know about Esquire HQ: The small fashion team sits right outside the men's restroom. I'm a believer that management gave me this spot next to the lavatory so I could constantly evaluate the office style choices. It's here, outside the restroom doors, that me and the others on the style team provide most of our solicited fashion advice — tailoring tips, denim suggestions, haircut recommendations, the works. A lot of men work here, which I'm sure surprises you.

This is also the spot where I first met Peter Martin, he who recently overhauled his entire wardrobe with the help of $1,000, Fashion Director Nick Sullivan, and yours truly. There are some things I thought would be obvious to Peter (and every man) but were news to him while we were shopping. Print out these tips, if only because an editor won't be there next time you head to a store...

Embrace the high-low. The easiest way to create fresh looks is to rotate those investment pieces with some fast-fashion finds.

The easiest way to avoid any future fashion fails is to think of classics, not trends. Some menswear tried-and-trues to keep in your back pocket: Fair Isle, gingham, oxford shirts, the trench coat, aviators, the tweed sportcoat, and clean underwear. Always.